Baby Giraffe Named for Rockets Center Yao Ming After Being Born at Houston Zoo (Video)

The only thing more adorable than a baby giraffe, as we all know, is a baby giraffe named after a former NBA great.

Yao Ming, the eight-time All-Star who averaged 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in a truncated career with the Houston Rockets, now shares a name with a long-necked ungulate in the city where he played professional ball. Yao Ming (the giraffe version) was more than six feet tall at just one week old, according to ABC News, and may eventually grow to twice the height of the 7-foot-6 center.

Ming was forced to retire in 2011 after an array of lower-body injuries brought his playing days to a premature end. He has since dedicated his time to business, charitable and political ventures, so the giraffe has a lot to live up to. Being named after Omer Asik would have brought much less pressure.

Check out baby Yao in the video below.